breaking news this morning, north korea does it again. >> the reclusive nation proudly announcing overnight it has conducted another nuclear test, putting it closer to a weapon that could reach the u.s. condemnation is pouring in around the world. the next pope. we have new details from rome this morning. and a hotel raided in mexico overnight? has suspected cop-killer christopher dorner fled over the border? is a breakfast soda what you need to kick-start your day? good tuesday morning, everybody. we do begin with breaking news

out of north korea. defiantly bragging this morning that it just conducted its third nuclear test. >> the underground test is the first for new leader kim jong-un. president obama issued a statement overnight calling the move have highly provocative act. the test appeared to be more powerful than the previous test. akiko fujita explains the significance. >> reporter: it would mean that north korea is a step closer to its stated goal to create a nuclear warhead that is small enough to be mounted on top of a long-range missile that is capable of reaching the u.s. it comes two weeks after they conducted a missile test in direct defiance of u.n. security council resolutions. >> the u.n. security council is holding an emergency meeting to address the issue. even china, north korea's long-time ally, has expressed firm opposition to the nuclear

tests. we'll have more on this breaking story later on on "gma." we turn to a change of the top of the catholic church. pope benedict made the bombshell announcement he is stepping down. >> at age 85, the pope says he cannot keep up with the job. nick schifrin joins us from rome with more. good morning, nick. >> reporter: good morning, rob. good morning, diana. pope benedict is a shy leader. but he's unpredictable, unprecedented. and it might just guarantee his legacy. at 85, he is silver-haired and cerebral and says he simply can't keep up. pope benedict xvi tells his cardinals in latin, quote, i had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. in the last year, benedict grew increasingly frail. >> he certainly slowed down a bit. you could tell he had trouble

negotiating steps. he started using the cane several months ago. >> reporter: but the german pope never slowed down, putting the church on an orthodox path. he opposed homosexuality and female priests. he tried to heal wounds, apologizing to victims of sexual abuse. >> they have to come to terms with the priest scandal. they have to be more candid and honest about it. >> reporter: benedict filled stadiums. but he was always a bookworm, more comfortable writing. many are calling for a more dynamic pope. and thanks to the first papal retirement in six centuries, cardinals might be willing to choose a young ur successor. >> the cardinals have to weigh experience and the need for a certain level of energy. >> reporter: and last night, what looked like a divine sign, lightning hitting st. peters ka

reed ral. and the papers are out. this one says amen. benedict won't choose his successor. but he hand-picked cardinals who will. and his most memorable act might have been his last. rob? diana? >> nick schifrin at the vatican. thank you. we'll get into who the front-runners are and what happens to a pope in retirement, coming up on "gma." in other news this morning, president obama poised to lay out his second term agenda in tonight's state of the union address. the nation can expect to get an earful about immigration, gun control and the economy. abc's tahman bradley has details for us this morning from washington. hey, tahman. >> reporter: hey, rob. anticipate a speech much more elaborate than mr. obama's inaugural address. the white house says the big focus will be the economy and the middle-class. president obama's state of the union speech tonight will focus on jobs and the economy. it's expected to be different in substance and tone than the

inaugural address last month. >> the economy will be central to the speech so everybody can have a fair shot. >> reporter: the president will push for additional government spending to provote manufacturing, clean energy and infrastructure. he will also address the cuts set to go. in adding additional spending would require congressional approval, setting mr. obama on a collision course with house republicans. >> it's time for washington to literally get back to the basics. we can't continue to spend money we don't have. >> reporter: president obama will elaborate on the big themes from his inaugural speech, immigration, climate change and gun violence. tomorrow, the president takes his message on the road, heading to asheville, north carolina, for a speech at an auto ports plant. he will go to the 12 bones smoke house. >> they never tell us when he's coming. it's secret. so, yeah.

we don't know. we just wait. >> reporter: tonight, democrats are placing a big emphasis on gun control. gabby giffords will be in the house chamber, as well as the parents of the slain chicago teenager that performed at mr. obama's inauguration. they'll be sitting with the first lady. >> another night of theater in the nation's capital. tahman bradley, thanks as always. you can count on abc's powerhouse political team for tonight's address. it kicks off at 9:00 p.m. eastern, 6:00 pacific. four days after the record-breaking blizzard. and they're still digging out. bridgeport got 30 inches. and residents are angry the city isn't doing more. the mayor says the plows can't handle the massive amount of snow. and we're finding out more this morning about the sheer power of the tornado that barreled through hattiesburg, mississippi. it was an ef-4. the twister raced across 70 miles in 3 counties, damaging or

destroying nearly 600 homes. more than 80 people were injured. but amazingly, not one person was killed. >> very lucky folks. that could have been a lot worse. time, now, for a look at weather across the country on this fat tuesday morning. a mild day will help melt away in a northeast snow. also some flurries for upstate new york and northern new england. drenching rain and flash flooding from new orleans to atlanta. up to four inches of snow around amarillo, oklahoma city and wichita. on top of that, rain and mountain snow in the pacific northwest. >> mostly 40s in the northwest. 82 in miami. and 73 in new orleans. coming up next after the break, new reasons to check your credit report. plus, a developing story from overnight. police check out a new lead in the search for a suspected killer in california. plus, the latest in casino comfort. placing bets right from your bed. this is so sick!

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and welcome back, everybody. if you have not checked your credit reports lately you might want to. a government study finds one in four consumers are finding errors in their credit reports. those mistakes can lead to paying higher interest rates on credit cards. consumers are entitled to a free copy of their credit report each year. but the delinquency rate is down. rising home prices and low-interest rates are making it easier for homeowners to

refinance and lower their payments. today marks four years since the last fatal airline crash in the u.s. that's the longest such period in more than 50 years. last year was also the safest worldwide in almost 70 years. experts cite better equipment, better navigation and better information. starting next week, gamblers in new jersey will not even have to get out of bed to place a bed. guests at the atlantic city casino can place bets from their hotel room tv sets. and the casino says it is planning to expand further, with mobile devices on its property. and as soon as the law allows, the internet, as well. >> i know where you'll be this weekend. >> no comment. now, to news about our extending abc family. the network we're launching with our colleagues at univision will be called fusion, a meeting place for english-speaking latinos, bringing together different cultures and viewpoints. fusion launches later on this

year. >> amazing the impact of the growing hispanic culture, affecting media, our politics, perhaps the decision of the next pope. coming up next, the navy s.e.a.l. who shot osama bin laden, breaking his silence. talking about how tough his life is now. plus, the slow tow to shore. we'll hear from passengers aboard that crippled cruise liner still days from port. ♪ i -- i got it, i got it made

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something this delicious could only come from nature. new nectresse. the 100% natural no-calorie sweetener made from the goodness of fruit. new nectresse. sweetness naturally. i use bounce outdoor fresh sheets because they're just that much fresher and they help keep static off in the cold so my clothes will never embarrass me. mommy, i dressed the snowman! how do you get your bounce? less static year-round. well, you certainly don't often see snow in the desert. that's what they were dealing with yesterday in central arizona. some roads are restricted to just four-wheel drive. and vehicles with chains on their tires. >> a cold cactus. and this from minnesota, where brave and well-insulated surfers were hitting the waves on lake superior. surfers said the swell is about

four feet high which is considered pretty good for the largest of the great lakes. the waves were left over from a storm on sunday. surf's up. let's get a look at the morning road conditions. a wet commute from seattle to portland. snowy passes in the cascades and northern rockies. snow-covered roads from north texas into oklahoma city and kansas. rain-soaked highways from louisiana to georgia. and slippery from buffalo to maine. >> if you are flying today, some airport delays are possible in atlanta, new orleans, memphis and charlotte. and now, to an update on that hunt for alleged california cop-killer, christopher dorner. a hotel in mexico was searched last night. but there was no sign of dorner. >> he's been the subject of a massive international manhunt now for nearly a week. they charged dorner with the murder of a riverside california police officer. he faces the death penalty if he's captured and convicted. more than 700 tips have come in since a $1 million reward was

offered for dorner. for the more than 4,200 people stranded on the "triumph" cruise liner, it's a slow trek to land. "the triumph" has been dead in the water sense sunday, when a fire knocked out its engines. passengers and their families say it's rather uncomfortable onboard. >> there's no lights. no water. we can't flush. some people were able to shower. no one was injured. most of us are camping out on the top deck. >> they're all crying and hysterical. they want to go home. >> the ship should have been back in galveston, texas, already. the passengers are being offered a full refund. this morning, we'r for the first time from the navy s.e.a.l. who killed osama bin laden. the s.e.a.l. team 6 member, referred to as the shooter, gave the first eyewitness account of that famous raid. he describes how bin laden

reached for a gun and was killed with two shots to the forehead. the shooter goes on to say that adjusting to civilian life has been pretty tough. he's out of a job. and says it's been hard to finding an employer who simply understands his skills. a 79-year-old woman in atlanta is being held on $25,000 bond this morning. norma has been busted for trying to sell marijuana. police found nine pounds of weed and $130,000 in cash inside of her home. again, she's 79 years old. neighbors thought all of the visitors streaming in and out of her home were just looking after the elderly. >> she has a bad case of glaucoma. she can see everything. indiana has kept its place on top of the a.p. college basketball poll, ending a streak of five weeks where there was a new number one. now, hoops highlights from our friends at espn. >> doug kezirian here with your

"sportscenter" update. k.u. has lost three-straight. the jayhawks hosting k-state. mclemore drills a three. under a minute to go in the first half. mclemore, the freshman. 17 in the first half, 30 in the game. k.u. up at the break. second half, jeff witty. next k.u. possession. travis releford for the putback. k.u. snaps its three-game losing streak. to the nba. celtics riding a seven-game win streak without rajon rondo. first quarter against the bobcats. courtney lee. second quarter action, now. charlotte down five. kemba walker with the steal. the easy two-handed flush. the cs led by six at the break. third quarter, a two-point

deficit for charlotte. sessions finished with 19 off the bench. fourth quarter, bobcats down three. avery bradley, known for his on-the-ball defense, instead going airborne for the swat. later in the fourth, bobcats down three. off the miss. the follow-up dunk. sessions knocks down the jumper. charlotte up one. a three-point lead. avery bradley with a chance for the tie. or the loss. boston's seven-game win streak is over. celtics first lost without rajon rondo. >> decent highlights. but not one of those guys can touch this highlight. >> this is crazy. check out a youngster named anna olson last friday, making the shot of a lifetime. look at that. her nearly full-court shot went in with a bounce and a little help from the rim. wait for it.

boom. there it is. even though her team was on the road, even the home fans couldn't help but shriek with excitement. nicely done. nicely done. >> wow. now, that is something she is going to remember forever. >> don't forget that. up next, your fat tuesday "pulse." plus, forget the java. how about a breakfast soda to get your morning going? stay with us. i was living with pain -- all over. the intense ache made it hard to do the things that i wanted. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia -- thought to be the result of over-active nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. so now, i can do more of the things i enjoy. lyrica is not for everyone. it may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters,

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♪ time, now, to check out "the pulse," rob's favorite time of year. mardi gras down in new orleans. >> uh-huh. >> and there's bourbon street,

still going, nice and strong at this early, early hour. >> you never know. >> up all night. >> unfortunately, rain is threatening to dampen some of the fun today. not that folks will feel it. but so far, none of the festivities have been canceled officially. mardi gras, known as fat tuesday, marks the last day of indulgence before lent starts. i got my voodoo doll to ward off the rain today. stay away from him. have fun, new orleans. >> have a good time. >> i miss being down there. how about that can of soda for breakfast? pepsi is rolling out mountain dew kick start later this month. it's a combination of the soda and fruit juice. >> more caffeine as regular mountain dew but not as much as energy drinks or coffee. it goes on sale february 25th.

>> all right. i'll take the caffeine. man, perhaps we could see this coming. the unofficial mascot for the infamous heart attack grill in las vegas has died of -- take one guess. >> a massive heart attack. >> january alman was taken off of life support yesterday. >> the restaurant has gained its share of controversy, over many items like the quadruple bypass burger that has 10,000 calories. another restaurant spokesman died back in 2011. it's truth in advertising for once, huh? scary. and can you feel the tension building? the tension, of course, ahead of tonight's announcement of which dog is best in show at the westminster kennel club show. >> the top awards for certain categories were handed out last night to some of the pampered pooches. but the big drama is tonight when the overall best in show is awarded.

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updating our top stories now. north korea has conducted an underground nuclear test. its third such test and its biggest yet. the u.n. security council has called an emergency meeting for later this morning. one day after his surprise resignation announcement, speculation is growing over who will be chosen to replace pope benedict. a report says the pope had his pacemaker replaced three months ago. and the state of the union address tonight is expected to focus on the economy. looking at today's weather. flurries for upstate new york and new england. rain from atlanta to new orleans. snow around oklahoma city, amarillo and wichita. showers and mountain snow in the northwest. finally from us this morning, the very definition of an american hero. for the fourth time, a living u.s. soldier who saw action in

afghanistan has been awarded the medal of honor. >> it happened yesterday at the white house. and it was an emotional occasion. abc's jonathan karl reports. >> reporter: for clint romesha, a high honor and a heavy burden, for an american hero, leader of a band of heroes through one of the most intense battles of the entire war in afghanistan. >> clint, this is our nation's highest military decoration. it reflects the gratitude of our entire country. >> reporter: this video was shot by the taliban on the day that army staff sergeant romesha helped repel their attack. more than 300 enemy fighters against his unit of just 53 men. defending an outpost the president called tactically indefensible. >> these men were outnumbered, outgunned and almost overrun. >> reporter: he's credited with retaking the outpost and saving many of his brothers in arms. but more than 20, including romesha were injured and eight

were killed. their families were here. and romesha spoke about them. >> they'll be there. i just know it. >> reporter: many of his fellow soldiers were here today. romesha told us the medal belongs to them, too. a somber occasion to be sure. though romesha's son colin near little stole the show before it started. you're out of the military. what are your dreams, aspirations, hopes now? >> to be that dad and father, that husband, that really missed out on the 11 years i was in, you know? and to watch them grow up and be successful. >> reporter: jonathan karl, abc news, the white house. >> certainly happy to be home. and the little guy was probably the best part of the evening because he was playing peek a boo behind the podium, running around. it was a great sight. >> he will love that tape when he gets older. >> here's a tape you love. >> of course. that's what's making news in america this morning. stay with us for "good morning america." back out to